{"id":209260,"date":"2026-03-12T02:30:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T02:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/saudi-arabias-secret-weapon-to-counter-the-iranian-blockade-in-hormuz\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T02:30:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T02:30:11","slug":"saudi-arabias-secret-weapon-to-counter-the-iranian-blockade-in-hormuz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/saudi-arabias-secret-weapon-to-counter-the-iranian-blockade-in-hormuz\/","title":{"rendered":"Saudi Arabia’s Secret Weapon to Counter the Iranian Blockade in Hormuz"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

Iran’s Tactic of Geopolitical Suffocation<\/h2>\n

Iran’s survival strategy in its ongoing conflict is rooted in a tactic of geopolitical suffocation, aimed at strangling the Strait of Hormuz to impose economic strain on Western nations. This has created a climate of uncertainty, causing financial markets to react variably while fuel prices fluctuate unpredictably. However, the situation on the ground is set to undergo significant change, primarily driven by strategic actions from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n

Saudi Arabia’s “Antidote” to the Crisis<\/h2>\n

Saudi Arabia and the UAE are crafting a logistical “antidote” that has the potential to disrupt the status quo by aiding the export of up to 7 million barrels of oil daily, thereby nullifying Iranian leverage. Central to this initiative is the East-West Pipeline<\/em>, also known as Petroline. This pipeline, in development since the 1980s, was conceived out of concern that the Iran-Iraq war might potentially paralyze Gulf oil exports. It spans approximately 1,200 kilometers through the Arabian desert, connecting vast oil fields in the east directly to the port of Yanbu, overlooking the Red Sea, allowing oil to escape without coming within range of Iranian missiles.<\/p>\n

Pumping Capacity on the Rise<\/h3>\n

Saudi Aramco’s CEO, Amin Nasser, has confirmed that the company is ramping up operations to maximize the pipeline’s capacity to 7 million barrels per day, significantly up from the pre-crisis level of 2.8 million. Of that, approximately 2 million barrels will be retained for domestic refineries, leaving around 5 million barrels poised for the global market.<\/p>\n

Immediate Actions Taking Shape<\/h2>\n

Saudi Arabia is accelerating efforts to operationalize this pipeline. Nasser noted that maximum capacity could be reached within days, which would allow the kingdom to export nearly 70% of its typical oil shipment volume. Analysts like Javier Blas emphasize the urgency of monitoring export flows outside of Hormuz rather than merely focusing on wellhead production. Evidence of this logistical frenzy is visible in the movement of at least 25 supertankers heading towards Yanbu to load crude oil. Additionally, the UAE\u2019s Habshan-Fujairah pipeline, which also bypasses the hazardous Strait of Hormuz, is contributing between 1.5 and 2 million barrels per day to this effort.<\/p>\n

Challenges of the New Strategy<\/h2>\n

Despite the promising prospects, several challenges underscore the complexity of this endeavor:<\/p>\n